This invention relates to vehicle sun roof covers, particularly those capable of longitudinal displacement for opening of the vehicle roof and also capable of pivoting to vent interior of the automobile without completely opening the vehicle roof.
Prior art covers of this type are known, and one is described in published German Application No. 1,605,960. The prior art covers generally provide a rigid outer top member and an innter panel member which blends with the vehicle roof interior. The inner panel member is generally fabricated as a frame-shaped bearing member and stiffened by one or more cross struts. The underside of the panel is finished with roof lining material to blend with the vehicle interior decor. When the cover is swung open, the inner panel member, which is fixed to the roof in the front portion near the axis on which the vehicle cover pivots, is bent upward in its rear portion by taking advantage of the elasticity of the frames which form the inner panel.
The bending of the frame members, to provide the tilting operation, places considerable stress on the frame and bearing members as well as the inner panel. The forceful deformation of the bearing can result in an eventual permanent deformation of the frame and consequently a poor fit of the interior panel to the adjacent roof parts. This is particularly true where the frame is provided with an edge member to blend the inner panel to the remaining portions of the roof interior. When the frame becomes bent, the edge member no longer meets the surrounding roof portions and an objectionable gap remains when the panel is in the closed position.
The design of the interior panel must also comply with recently evolved safety regulations according to which the interior panel member, in the closed condition, must form a continuous or nearly continuous surface with the remaining portions of the roof interior. Thus, in the closed condition, the panel cannot include gaps into which a spherical test body of a determined size can penetrate to a specified depth.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cover for a vehicle sun roof wherein the cover can be pivoted outward to vent the interior of the automobile without bending the frame of the cover.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a cover wherein the panel will remain in a close fit with the surrounding portions of the vehicle roof interior even after prolonged use of the cover.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide such a cover, which in the closed condition, forms a substantially continuous surface with the surrounding roof interior.